Like many expectant parents, circumcision is something I had never even thought about. What was there to think about anyway? If you had a boy, they were circumcised. That’s just what you did with boys. There had to be a good reason we had been cutting the foreskin off of boys for most of the last century.
It wasn’t until my husband and I received an educational pamphlet in our birth class that either of us had even thought about circumcision. We were surprised about the information we read in that short little pamphlet. In a matter of 10 minutes, my husband and I had decided that we wouldn’t circumcise our baby if we had a boy.
The pamphlet was very short and to the point, but very informative and convincing. There were several key points that hit home to us right away. One was that there was NO medical reason to remove the foreskin and the reason it had originally been done was to “prevent masturbation”. Secondly, that the foreskin actually protects the penis and has nerve endings that would be removed. And thirdly, that circumcision is surgery that is not only painful for the baby, but has risks like any surgery. You can read the pamphlet here: http://www.nocirc.org/publish/3pam.pdf
As it turned out, we did have a boy. And thanks to our Bradley instructor, his penis is still intact. But I honestly believe we would have allowed it without even blinking.
My views on circumcision have become much stronger as time has passed. That is why I feel it is so important to share information whenever I can. But instead of making people feel guilty for the choice they make, I focus on just making a choice! No matter how wrong I feel it is to unnecessarily subject a newborn to that kind of trauma, I will respect your right to do it if you actually make the decision.
Getting people to know there is even something to think about is the first step to changing things.
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC)
As Nature Intended
Peaceful Parenting: The Day I Withdrew From Nursing School
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Stretch marks
Recently I came across a website called The Shape Of a Mother which focuses on normalizing a woman’s shape, round bellies, saggy breasts, stretch marks and all. But one particular section caught my attention and had a profound affect on me, Save Our Daughters.
As a daughter and now the mother of a daughter, Save Our Daughters triggered a deep emotional reaction in me. I immediately thought of how often I had watched my mother look at her body in disgusts. The rolls, the stretch marks, the cesarean scars. Motherhood had changed her body from a once skinny young woman to something she was ashamed of.
I remember as a child being fascinated with my mother’s cesarean scars. It was amazing to me to look at that little line across the bottom of her abdomen and know that that was the place my sister and I had each been removed from her body. It would have been so easy for me to believe these were beautiful badges of love instead of unsightly scars of shame.
But that opportunity was missed and although I was skinny growing up and didn’t have the same weight issues my mother had, my sister did and I can only imagine how her own body views affected my sister. I know my mother did everything in her power to teach us to love and accept ourselves. But unfortunately, it was her inability to love and accept herself that was heard most clearly.
After I had my first baby, my body dramatically changed, like everyone’s does. My breasts got wider and saggier and my belly had a new shape and was covered in tons of deep stretch marks that I often said made it look like ground beef. I was not shy about telling everyone how wrecked my body was from having a child and it only got worse with my second. I had even thought about having my stretch marks removed once I was all done having kids. I didn’t see my new body as beautiful, I saw it the same way my mother had, ugly.
Then one day, I had been getting ready for bed and passed through the dark bathroom in front of the mirror. I stopped for a moment and looked in the mirror. There was just enough light to see the outline of my body, but not all the detail. I was surprised at the shape I saw in the mirror. If this had been anyone else’s body in front of me, I would have thought it was beautiful. The hips were wide and curvy, the breasts low and flat, yet feminine, and the bump of the belly looked like a mother. This was the body of someone who had brought life into this world and there was nothing ugly about it.
Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long and I was quickly back to thinking my body was unattractive. I still have the same feeling about my body and that is something I will have to work on. But after reading Save Our Daughters, I want to make sure I don’t pass on my body issues to my daughter. I have made a promise to myself to never call my belly ground beef in front of her, even if I still think that sometimes. I will work hard to teach her that these changes are part of motherhood and the beauty of creating a life. Maybe she will someday be able to see her stretch marks as badges of honor and love them as much as she loves her children. And if I am really lucky, maybe I will learn to love mine too.
The Shape of A Mother: Save Our Daughters
As a daughter and now the mother of a daughter, Save Our Daughters triggered a deep emotional reaction in me. I immediately thought of how often I had watched my mother look at her body in disgusts. The rolls, the stretch marks, the cesarean scars. Motherhood had changed her body from a once skinny young woman to something she was ashamed of.
I remember as a child being fascinated with my mother’s cesarean scars. It was amazing to me to look at that little line across the bottom of her abdomen and know that that was the place my sister and I had each been removed from her body. It would have been so easy for me to believe these were beautiful badges of love instead of unsightly scars of shame.
But that opportunity was missed and although I was skinny growing up and didn’t have the same weight issues my mother had, my sister did and I can only imagine how her own body views affected my sister. I know my mother did everything in her power to teach us to love and accept ourselves. But unfortunately, it was her inability to love and accept herself that was heard most clearly.
After I had my first baby, my body dramatically changed, like everyone’s does. My breasts got wider and saggier and my belly had a new shape and was covered in tons of deep stretch marks that I often said made it look like ground beef. I was not shy about telling everyone how wrecked my body was from having a child and it only got worse with my second. I had even thought about having my stretch marks removed once I was all done having kids. I didn’t see my new body as beautiful, I saw it the same way my mother had, ugly.
Then one day, I had been getting ready for bed and passed through the dark bathroom in front of the mirror. I stopped for a moment and looked in the mirror. There was just enough light to see the outline of my body, but not all the detail. I was surprised at the shape I saw in the mirror. If this had been anyone else’s body in front of me, I would have thought it was beautiful. The hips were wide and curvy, the breasts low and flat, yet feminine, and the bump of the belly looked like a mother. This was the body of someone who had brought life into this world and there was nothing ugly about it.
Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long and I was quickly back to thinking my body was unattractive. I still have the same feeling about my body and that is something I will have to work on. But after reading Save Our Daughters, I want to make sure I don’t pass on my body issues to my daughter. I have made a promise to myself to never call my belly ground beef in front of her, even if I still think that sometimes. I will work hard to teach her that these changes are part of motherhood and the beauty of creating a life. Maybe she will someday be able to see her stretch marks as badges of honor and love them as much as she loves her children. And if I am really lucky, maybe I will learn to love mine too.
The Shape of A Mother: Save Our Daughters
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Precious moments
Warning: This post talks about the loss of a child and may be extremely emotional for people that have experienced their own loss.
I was extremely moved by something I recently read. It was a comment from a mother that had lost her baby. She shared her story about being busy and letting her husband care for their baby so she could finish her work, not knowing that the next morning he would be gone. Then she said:
I'm sure when you lose a child, there is not one moment spent doing something else that you don't regret. I can not imagine that pain. But even if you never have to experience that kind of loss, these precious moments you have now, with your ever changing child, are limited and will soon be gone forever. They are growing and changing all the time, and someday, will no longer need you the way they do now.
Unfortunately it's just not practical to spend every second with our child or we would never get fed or cleaned. But what we can do is cherish the moments we do spend with them. Take 15 minutes to build that block building with them. Color a picture. Tell them a story. And when you do, let everything else go and just enjoy that moment with them. Don't try to read faster because you need to get dinner started. Five years from now it won't matter if you all ate dinner 10 minutes late. But what you gain from spending those 10 minutes with your child will last forever.
These fleeting precious moments are also the reason I enjoy co-sleeping and don't worry about weaning. Sure I am tired and would get more sleep if my children slept in their own bed and my baby wasn't waking me up to nurse. But I have the rest of my life to sleep. Right now my baby needs me and my children feel loved and secure sleeping next to me. I know some day my kids won't need me in that way anymore, and so while they still do, I want to fill that need and not force them to give it up before they are ready.
So the next time you are frustrated that your baby just wants to be held all day, or you toddler wants to nurse, again, forget about the dishes and just cherish these precious moments you have because before you know it, they will be gone. This moment is just a sliver of time in our lives and we are living them now.
And with that I will leave you with this final thought. I hope this post has inspired you to stop and smell the roses, if even for a moment!
I was extremely moved by something I recently read. It was a comment from a mother that had lost her baby. She shared her story about being busy and letting her husband care for their baby so she could finish her work, not knowing that the next morning he would be gone. Then she said:
It's so easy to let what we think is important get in the way of what really is sometimes! It's so easy to get caught up...This story was so moving to me. It's so easy to get bogged down with all the daily jobs and chores and important things to do that I know I forget to stop and smell the roses, or am just too tired to care to try.
If my story helps just one momma to remember "stop and smell the roses" then that makes me happy.
I'm sure when you lose a child, there is not one moment spent doing something else that you don't regret. I can not imagine that pain. But even if you never have to experience that kind of loss, these precious moments you have now, with your ever changing child, are limited and will soon be gone forever. They are growing and changing all the time, and someday, will no longer need you the way they do now.
Unfortunately it's just not practical to spend every second with our child or we would never get fed or cleaned. But what we can do is cherish the moments we do spend with them. Take 15 minutes to build that block building with them. Color a picture. Tell them a story. And when you do, let everything else go and just enjoy that moment with them. Don't try to read faster because you need to get dinner started. Five years from now it won't matter if you all ate dinner 10 minutes late. But what you gain from spending those 10 minutes with your child will last forever.
These fleeting precious moments are also the reason I enjoy co-sleeping and don't worry about weaning. Sure I am tired and would get more sleep if my children slept in their own bed and my baby wasn't waking me up to nurse. But I have the rest of my life to sleep. Right now my baby needs me and my children feel loved and secure sleeping next to me. I know some day my kids won't need me in that way anymore, and so while they still do, I want to fill that need and not force them to give it up before they are ready.
So the next time you are frustrated that your baby just wants to be held all day, or you toddler wants to nurse, again, forget about the dishes and just cherish these precious moments you have because before you know it, they will be gone. This moment is just a sliver of time in our lives and we are living them now.
And with that I will leave you with this final thought. I hope this post has inspired you to stop and smell the roses, if even for a moment!
"Yesterday's the past and tomorrow's the future. Today is a gift - which is why they call it the present." -Bill Keane
Friday, December 31, 2010
Too old to nurse
Nursing a toddler can be an adventure. They climb and fidget and often request quick drinks before running off again. But as chaotic and frustrating as it can sometimes be, it is also a joy and I am so glad I have continued to nurse my kids well past the infant stage.
I always knew I wanted to nurse my babies, but I had never pictured myself nursing someone that could ask! I remember my mom telling me I nursed until I was two and thinking that was so weird. I knew 2 year olds and couldn’t imagine myself nursing one.
But when my first reached a year, it was obvious to me that neither of us was ready to wean. Then he turned 2 and although he didn’t nurse often, he still liked to nurse before bed and occasionally when he was just having an off moment and needed some extra love.
Now I was the one nursing a two year old and it was weaning him that I couldn’t imagine. Nursing seemed as natural as hugging him. I didn’t know how long I would continue to nurse him and at what point I would decide he was “too old”, but I knew now wasn’t the time.
Turned out I never had to make that choice. He initiated weaning a few months after turning two and although there was a point when he asked and I said no, it was only after he had made it clear he was ready to stop nursing. There were no tears, no pleading, just an “okay” when I offered him something else to drink.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Letters from Baby: Please don't let me cry
After reading many responses to this blog post, I just want to say that it is not my intent for this to be a complete debate on the merits of "cry-it-out". I am trying to present what experiencing "cry-it-out" may be like for a baby and hope it will encourage people to not take CIO so lightly and do more research into the subject. To find a more logical argument against CIO, see the links I have included at the end of this post.
It makes me so sad to think of all the babies that are left to cry. Like all parents, the parents of these babies love their babies dearly and just want what's best for them. Unfortunately, main stream thinking has made us all believe that letting your child cry it out is not only okay, but actually better for them in the long run. The truth could not be more opposite.
Leaving a baby to cry, unattended and without response by a parent is not healthy. All the stress hormones released from prolonged crying can actually alter a baby's brain. They can also become withdrawn and even depressed. How your child responds to CIO depends greatly on how it is applied and the baby's personality.
Babies use crying as one of their only ways to communicate with their caregiver. When a baby attempts to communicate over and over again and is repeatedly ignored, this baby learns that their communications will not be responded to. They lack trust in their parent or caregiver to meet their needs. So responding to a baby's cry is important in establishing communication and a trusting relationship with your baby.
Here are some great resources about prolonged, unattended crying:
Dr. Sears - Science Says: Excessive Crying Could Be Harmful to Babies
Dr. Ben Kim - Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry
The Natural Child Project - The Con of Controlled Crying
Dr. Sears - 7 Things Parents Should Know About Baby's Cries
Dr. Stephen Juan - 'Crying it out' may damage baby's brain
PhD in Parenting - Cry it out (CIO): 10 reasons why it is not for us
Peaceful Parenting - Should Baby Soothe Himself to Sleep?
The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley is a great book if you are looking for solutions for helping your baby sleep. I buy one for all the new moms I know!
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm lying here crying, waiting for you to come. I don't know why you won't, but I feel so all alone.
I heard Grandma say to let me cry, it's good for me somehow, so you both agree not to spoil me. Well I don't know exactly what that means, but I am sure I disagree. All I know is that I'm cold and sad lying here alone. So I will keep crying with the hope that you will come.
I know I just ate and now it's time to sleep, but I feel so safe when I'm in your arms and that's where I want to be. Your body is warm, and you smell so sweet. It's easy to fall asleep, protected by your arms and listening to the calming sounds of your breathing and heart beat when you hold me close. I know I'm loved and cared for with you watching over me. But I feel so sad alone in this room waiting for sleep to come.
I have no words to tell you, and so I start to cry. It's my only way to ask for help, it's the only words I have to tell you that I need you. I get so excited when you listen, but I just don't understand why you won't listen now.
So I keep calling for you to pick me up, but please come fast. I'm afraid that I can't cry much longer, that I am going to give up. That I will feel too alone to even cry and too tired to hope you will still come. I'll feel so ignored here in this room. So unloved, so abandoned, so alone. It might not be true, but it's how I feel as I continue to beg for you and my cries continue to go unanswered.
Next time I will know not to cry so long. I won't try as hard to make you hear and I'll learn faster that you will not come. And there may even come a day when I don't cry at all. By then I will have learned that you don't care and I will have given up on trying to communicate my needs to you. I won't keep hoping or trust you to help me when I am sad. Grandma will be so proud that I have learned to "self sooth", but I don't know why giving up is a good thing. Maybe I will understand some day.
I'm finally too tired to cry, and I'm drifting off to sleep. I'm breathing kind of funny, I still feel like I can't catch my breath. I guess I really shouldn't have cried so long. I'll know next time.
Sincerely,
Your Baby
It makes me so sad to think of all the babies that are left to cry. Like all parents, the parents of these babies love their babies dearly and just want what's best for them. Unfortunately, main stream thinking has made us all believe that letting your child cry it out is not only okay, but actually better for them in the long run. The truth could not be more opposite.
Leaving a baby to cry, unattended and without response by a parent is not healthy. All the stress hormones released from prolonged crying can actually alter a baby's brain. They can also become withdrawn and even depressed. How your child responds to CIO depends greatly on how it is applied and the baby's personality.
Babies use crying as one of their only ways to communicate with their caregiver. When a baby attempts to communicate over and over again and is repeatedly ignored, this baby learns that their communications will not be responded to. They lack trust in their parent or caregiver to meet their needs. So responding to a baby's cry is important in establishing communication and a trusting relationship with your baby.
Here are some great resources about prolonged, unattended crying:
Dr. Sears - Science Says: Excessive Crying Could Be Harmful to Babies
Dr. Ben Kim - Cry It Out: The Potential Dangers of Leaving Your Baby to Cry
The Natural Child Project - The Con of Controlled Crying
Dr. Sears - 7 Things Parents Should Know About Baby's Cries
Dr. Stephen Juan - 'Crying it out' may damage baby's brain
PhD in Parenting - Cry it out (CIO): 10 reasons why it is not for us
Peaceful Parenting - Should Baby Soothe Himself to Sleep?
The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley is a great book if you are looking for solutions for helping your baby sleep. I buy one for all the new moms I know!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Finding your flock
What some people call attachment parenting came very easy to me in the beginning when my baby was born. I nursed, co-slept, and responded instantly to his cries, as if I had a choice! In the beginning, it didn’t bother me if people didn’t agree with some of my choices. But as my baby grew older, my choices became less and less socially acceptable.
When my second was born, I decided we needed to join a playgroup so that my son could get out and interact with other kids. Immediately I was nervous about joining one though. I know how judgmental mothers can be, I am one and am often guilty of the same thing. I knew how different my parenting style was to my friends and had only recently admitted to some of my close friends that I was still co-sleeping and nursing my first out of fear they would run screaming.
Would we be accepted in playgroup? Would they be able to tell I didn’t follow the mainstream parenting rules? Would I be “allowed” to nurse my baby in front of their children?
All these questions and worries kept me from joining anything for a few months until my doula, who also had kids, mentioned to me that there was an Attachment Parenting group that met locally. I still didn’t fully know what “Attachment Parenting” meant at that point, but I knew I liked my doula and thought I would give it a try.
The first playgroup we went to was at a park. I walked up nervously to a group of moms and almost cried with happiness when I saw a mom with her toddler nursing openly in a sling! She didn’t have her healthy 15 month old shamefully covered with a blanket while she nursed him. She just said hi and welcomed me to the group without a second thought.
Nursing a toddler in public was something I had never had the courage to do. I immediately knew this was the perfect group for us though and was relieved to know that when my baby was a toddler, this would at least be one place I could openly nurse without issue or judgment.
Since then, I have grown as a parent with this group. I am so grateful that I found them when I did. They have helped me gain confidence in my parenting choices and feel proud that I parent the way I feel is right. For so long I felt like my choices made me an outcast. But now I knew I wasn’t a freak. There were lots of people out there that made the same kind of choices I made and suddenly these choices seem normal. Sure, there are still more mainstream parents out there than AP parents, but it helps to know you’re not alone.
I think it is so important to find people who have similar parenting philosophies to you, especially if you don’t follow the mainstream crowd. It is exhausting to constantly feel you have to defend your choices or filter what you say around certain people. It is important to have people you can talk openly with and go to for advice or just be a sympathetic ear. So if you find you can’t talk to your friends about sleep issues because you know they will tell you to just let you baby cry, try to find a group of people you can talk to. It might help more than you think!
So how do you find your flock? Google it. Check Facebook or Yahoo Groups. You can even find some on the Attachment Parenting International website. I know! I didn't know that page existed either! There are lots of local AP groups all over. If you can't find any, start one! There's a good chance that there are other AP parents in the area that would like to join!
When my second was born, I decided we needed to join a playgroup so that my son could get out and interact with other kids. Immediately I was nervous about joining one though. I know how judgmental mothers can be, I am one and am often guilty of the same thing. I knew how different my parenting style was to my friends and had only recently admitted to some of my close friends that I was still co-sleeping and nursing my first out of fear they would run screaming.
Would we be accepted in playgroup? Would they be able to tell I didn’t follow the mainstream parenting rules? Would I be “allowed” to nurse my baby in front of their children?
All these questions and worries kept me from joining anything for a few months until my doula, who also had kids, mentioned to me that there was an Attachment Parenting group that met locally. I still didn’t fully know what “Attachment Parenting” meant at that point, but I knew I liked my doula and thought I would give it a try.
The first playgroup we went to was at a park. I walked up nervously to a group of moms and almost cried with happiness when I saw a mom with her toddler nursing openly in a sling! She didn’t have her healthy 15 month old shamefully covered with a blanket while she nursed him. She just said hi and welcomed me to the group without a second thought.
Nursing a toddler in public was something I had never had the courage to do. I immediately knew this was the perfect group for us though and was relieved to know that when my baby was a toddler, this would at least be one place I could openly nurse without issue or judgment.
Since then, I have grown as a parent with this group. I am so grateful that I found them when I did. They have helped me gain confidence in my parenting choices and feel proud that I parent the way I feel is right. For so long I felt like my choices made me an outcast. But now I knew I wasn’t a freak. There were lots of people out there that made the same kind of choices I made and suddenly these choices seem normal. Sure, there are still more mainstream parents out there than AP parents, but it helps to know you’re not alone.
I think it is so important to find people who have similar parenting philosophies to you, especially if you don’t follow the mainstream crowd. It is exhausting to constantly feel you have to defend your choices or filter what you say around certain people. It is important to have people you can talk openly with and go to for advice or just be a sympathetic ear. So if you find you can’t talk to your friends about sleep issues because you know they will tell you to just let you baby cry, try to find a group of people you can talk to. It might help more than you think!
So how do you find your flock? Google it. Check Facebook or Yahoo Groups. You can even find some on the Attachment Parenting International website. I know! I didn't know that page existed either! There are lots of local AP groups all over. If you can't find any, start one! There's a good chance that there are other AP parents in the area that would like to join!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Gift of Babywearing
If you haven't had the fortune to discover babywearing yet, you should! Babywearing is not only a gift for your child, but for you as well.
Babywearing has tons of benefits, but the most important is probably how it can make life just so much easier for you! My toddler was a bit on the needy side when she was little. She had colic when she was born, plus I had a toddler to run after, so using a baby carrier was a life saver! I don't know how I would have survived those first three months without one. It allowed me to keep my baby happy and content while keeping up with the busy activities of the day.
When she got older and started crawling and being more mobile, babywearing allowed me to take my oldest to the park and playdates without any protest. She was much more content to be in the carrier and watch the action than she ever would have been sitting in a stroller for an hour or more. She was also able to nap easily while we were out and even made it easy to handle her frequent nursing sessions.
By the time she was a toddler and running around with all the other kids, babywearing still allowed us to be out and social much more often then I had been with my first. She could only handle so much running around before she would get tired and crabby like all toddlers do. The carrier allowed her to take a break from the action and retreat to a safe place to relax. Plus she was so used to sleeping in a carrier by this point that she would ask to be in the carrier if we were out and she needed a nap. Babywearing allowed her to be independent when she wanted to and gave her a safe place to be when she was done.
I encourage everyone to explore babywearing if they have the chance. Even my husband has embraced babywearing, and "toddlerwearing"! It gave him a chance to feel more hands on with our baby and has allowed him to enjoy those rare snugly moments you have to take advantage of with a busy toddler. It's become such a big part of our family life that my children even make their own baby carriers to carry their dolls! Plus, there is nothing better than the joy I feel while I carry my child so close to my heart!
Some Of The Benefits Of Babywearing
For more babywearing information, visit these sites:
The Babywearer
AskDr.Sears.com: Babywearing
Babywearing International
Better Babywearing: Babywearing Overload
The Natural Child Project: Ten Reasons To Wear Your Baby
Sleepy Wrap: Benefits of Babywearing
Want to wear you baby? There are tons of companies and brands out there, but here are just a few that I know of that are run by stay at home moms (and one dad!):
Zerberts
SweetPea Ring Slings
Wrapstar
Carry Me With Love
NuzzleMe Creations
Babywearing has tons of benefits, but the most important is probably how it can make life just so much easier for you! My toddler was a bit on the needy side when she was little. She had colic when she was born, plus I had a toddler to run after, so using a baby carrier was a life saver! I don't know how I would have survived those first three months without one. It allowed me to keep my baby happy and content while keeping up with the busy activities of the day.
When she got older and started crawling and being more mobile, babywearing allowed me to take my oldest to the park and playdates without any protest. She was much more content to be in the carrier and watch the action than she ever would have been sitting in a stroller for an hour or more. She was also able to nap easily while we were out and even made it easy to handle her frequent nursing sessions.
By the time she was a toddler and running around with all the other kids, babywearing still allowed us to be out and social much more often then I had been with my first. She could only handle so much running around before she would get tired and crabby like all toddlers do. The carrier allowed her to take a break from the action and retreat to a safe place to relax. Plus she was so used to sleeping in a carrier by this point that she would ask to be in the carrier if we were out and she needed a nap. Babywearing allowed her to be independent when she wanted to and gave her a safe place to be when she was done.
I encourage everyone to explore babywearing if they have the chance. Even my husband has embraced babywearing, and "toddlerwearing"! It gave him a chance to feel more hands on with our baby and has allowed him to enjoy those rare snugly moments you have to take advantage of with a busy toddler. It's become such a big part of our family life that my children even make their own baby carriers to carry their dolls! Plus, there is nothing better than the joy I feel while I carry my child so close to my heart!
Some Of The Benefits Of Babywearing
- Babies that are worn cry less than babies that are not. Babies are much happier being held than not, so babywearing allows you to hold you baby much more than you would otherwise be able to. Plus, crying is stressful for both you and baby, so less crying makes everyone much happier!
- Babywearing helps sooth your baby and make them feel safe. Newborns are comforted by the warmth and closeness they experience when being warm. They are able to smell you and hear your breathing and heartbeat like they were ablt to do in the womb. The motions and pressure of babywearing also is comforting to them.
- Babies that are worn get to see and experience much more than other babies. They listen to conversations and watch you go about your activies, absorbing and learning from what they experience through being worn.
- Babywearing encourages interaction with your baby. You make eye contact and talk to them more often when they are worn. It is more natural to talk to your baby about what you are doing and seeing while you are wearing them.
- Wearing your baby can help you and other caregivers bond with your baby. Being close to baby, smelling them, feeling their warmth, interacting with them, encourages a deeper bond and also helps your baby bond too. Babywearing is a great way for dads to become more involved with their babies and helps nuture their own bond.
- Babywearing makes life easier! It's easier to keep up with older siblings and life in general while babywearing. It allows you to have your hands free to tend to other things. It also decreases the amount of time you need to spend comforting your baby and even putting them to sleep since these are things that naturally occure while wearing them. Plus, it can be a lifesaver if you're ever unable to use a stroller!
- Babywearing creates a safe place for baby no matter where you are. Whether your baby is nine months old and afraid of strangers or 18 months old and is overstimulated or overwhelmed by your surroundings, babywearing gives them a safe place to retreat and feel secure.
- Wearing your toddler can keep them safe and out of trouble! Babywearing keeps your toddler close to you and away from things you don't want them getting into. It has been a huge help when grocery shopping since it keeps my toddler happy and unable to grab everything on the shelf or out of the shopping cart!
- Babywearing creates more independant toddlers. Believe it or not, but babies that are more attached and trust you to meet their needs, become more independant and confident to explore their world becuase they are confident that you will be there for them. Babywearing nurtures this trust and attachment and therefor leads to more independant toddlers.
- Babywearing is a joy! Wearing your little one allows you to snugle and kiss your baby even more, which is always a plus! And as they get older and more busy, may be the only chance you get to snag any snugles at all!
For more babywearing information, visit these sites:
The Babywearer
AskDr.Sears.com: Babywearing
Babywearing International
Better Babywearing: Babywearing Overload
The Natural Child Project: Ten Reasons To Wear Your Baby
Sleepy Wrap: Benefits of Babywearing
Want to wear you baby? There are tons of companies and brands out there, but here are just a few that I know of that are run by stay at home moms (and one dad!):
Zerberts
SweetPea Ring Slings
Wrapstar
Carry Me With Love
NuzzleMe Creations
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)